Here at Olbalbal on the edge of the Serengeti we are in the midst of the deep dry season. Most of the cattle have moved into the hills and mountains of the Ngorongoro highlands where there is still grass to be found. Even the herds of sheep and goats that normally thrive on the particularly dry conditions of Olbalbal have been moved to places where there is more fodder to be found.

Here on the plains it is harder and harder to reach the widely scattered Maasai encampments for meetings and services. Getting there frequently requires four wheel drive to force one’s way through the often two feet thick layer of dust. Visibility is limited and one needs to stop and wait for the great clouds of dust kicked up by the car to settle before moving on.

The Maasai keep one eye on the sky anxiously awaiting signs of the coming rains.